Drivers warned to keep off the grass in Brighton and Hove (From The Argus)
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Drivers warned to keep off the grass in Brighton and Hove
2:00pm Friday 30th November 2012 in News By Tim Ridgway, Local government reporter
Councillor Dawn Barnett has previously complained about damage to verges in Hangleton
Parking wardens could patrol suburban streets to crack down on motorists leaving their cars on grass verges.
Brighton and Hove City Council wants to take advantage of new Government rules and use £125,000 to set up a pilot scheme to clamp down on those mounting the kerb and leaving their cars there.
Any motorist caught in the dedicated zone at any time could be fined up to £70.
If successful, the scheme could be widened out across the city.
Transport committee chairman Ian Davey said: “Following requests from residents and local councillors, and evidence of long-standing problems, it is proposed that two pilot schemes proceed.
“These areas have been agreed with local councillors to cover a handful of roads in areas only where parking is a nuisance or hazardous.”
The funding is allocated as part of the local authority’s budget plans for 2013/14.
If approved, the money will fund a trial in Mile Oak, Portslade and areas of Patcham.
Ruined verges
Complaints Penny Gilbey, who represents North Portslade on the local authority, said she had received dozens of complaints from locals about people parking on the verge in Chalky Road.
Coun Gilbey said: “It seems that people using the sports centre are not aware there is a new car park just down the road they could use.
“The verges are ruined – they are all muddy and slippery – and there is a concern for pedestrians and students at the school.”
Experts at the local authority said there will be signs at the start of the ‘zone’ with them repeated at regular intervals.
The areas chosen are where verge parking is by visitors and commuters or where there is already parking available elsewhere.
A council spokeswoman said: “The two pilot schemes are subject to agreement by committee and to available funding.
“There will be no road markings or bollards used, and it will be enforceable by parking attendants.”
Any changes would be subject to a traffic order and consultation.
The budget will be finalised at a special meeting of all the councillors on February 28 in Brighton Town Hall.
Talking point: Should more action be taken against people parking on grass verges?
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Comments(32)
martyt
says...
2:08pm Fri 30 Nov 12
elphick
says...
2:10pm Fri 30 Nov 12
Big Fido
says...
2:25pm Fri 30 Nov 12
Clearly the petrolheads above won't be happy until everything is tarmaced over and they can drive from their front rooms to their kitchen without getting out of the car.
SGK2000
says...
2:39pm Fri 30 Nov 12
Long overdue action.
Maxwell's Ghost
says...
2:47pm Fri 30 Nov 12
Seems odd.
Morpheus
says...
2:54pm Fri 30 Nov 12
Crystal Ball
says...
3:05pm Fri 30 Nov 12
Fight_Back
says...
3:17pm Fri 30 Nov 12
Morpheus wrote:Strange, there was always enough width when I was a child in the 70's and 80's. Cars are getting smaller on the whole with more and more people opting for the small city runarounds. The problem comes with the idiot families who think just because they have one child they need a massive 4x4. In my road there's loads of space and yet people can't be bothered to park say 15 seconds further down the road on the odd occasion they need to. This is especially noticeable when it comes to the school run Mums ! They'd much rather mount the verge than carry their fat backsides a few extra yards.
People park on the verges because the roads are too narrow. It is pointless having verges that are just a mess. The council needs to allocate money to tarmacking the grass verges. The alternative is to start the demolition process and build a city for the modern world.
plantwoman
says...
3:45pm Fri 30 Nov 12
Flippin Burghers
says...
4:12pm Fri 30 Nov 12
Ohnotagain !
says...
4:27pm Fri 30 Nov 12
Fight_Back wrote:I suggest you visit Hollingbury, unless you park up on the grass verge you are quite likely to loose your wing mirror, the roads are very narrow with barely enough room for one car !!
Morpheus wrote:Strange, there was always enough width when I was a child in the 70's and 80's. Cars are getting smaller on the whole with more and more people opting for the small city runarounds. The problem comes with the idiot families who think just because they have one child they need a massive 4x4. In my road there's loads of space and yet people can't be bothered to park say 15 seconds further down the road on the odd occasion they need to. This is especially noticeable when it comes to the school run Mums ! They'd much rather mount the verge than carry their fat backsides a few extra yards.
People park on the verges because the roads are too narrow. It is pointless having verges that are just a mess. The council needs to allocate money to tarmacking the grass verges. The alternative is to start the demolition process and build a city for the modern world.
Hove Actually
says...
5:30pm Fri 30 Nov 12
This is just another way to milk the motorist and anyone who claims otherwise is probably a single minded car hating green.
RottingdeanRant
says...
5:32pm Fri 30 Nov 12
davyboy
says...
6:28pm Fri 30 Nov 12
bluemonday
says...
7:20pm Fri 30 Nov 12
Idontbelieveit1948
says...
7:26pm Fri 30 Nov 12
Ballroom Blitz
says...
11:01am Sat 1 Dec 12
I really don't care. As many have said, tarmac them over so that people can park on them would seem the logical thing to do. But oh no. The council would rather fine people instead.
Ballroom Blitz
says...
11:02am Sat 1 Dec 12
bluemonday wrote:And of course, we all know that this is true. No fines, nothing.
but if you want to park on wild park with no tax,leave rubbish everywhere,cause unrest to local people,you help yourself because the council are too scared to remove people parked illegally from there
Ohnotagain !
says...
12:32pm Sat 1 Dec 12
RottingdeanRant wrote:Well obviously from rottingdean you are elderly and infirm and probably with a drive !. If every negative poster on here actually visited some residential streets in Brighton, they would clearly see the problem. it is also not the case that "parking a bit further up" will make any difference, as narrow roads are narrow, they do not have wider bits so you can park.
Good news. I hope it is finally enforced throughout the city. Fed up with people parking on the verges and pavement. The verges just get churned up (and I would prefer to see the grass than have them covered in Tarmac) and the pavement parking prevent the elderly and infirm from using the pavement.
Fight_Back
says...
1:08pm Sat 1 Dec 12
Hove Actually wrote:If everybody that owned a car ( and I'm in that group ) actually learnt to park properly then there would be no verge parking. The basic fact is that people are now lazy and want to park exactly outside their house or the place they are going. Given most of central Brighton and Hove doesn't have grass verges then the main problem must be the suburbs. Most people in the suburbs have off road parking so there really is no need for parking on the verges. You only need to look at Neville Road and see how many idiots want to risk their wing mirrors etc when there is loads of drive parking available to them.
If everyone who parked on the verge was to park in the road this city would come to a grinding halt and everyone would lose their wing mirrors.
This is just another way to milk the motorist and anyone who claims otherwise is probably a single minded car hating green.
lillylou
says...
4:48pm Sat 1 Dec 12
lillylou
says...
4:53pm Sat 1 Dec 12
gnarlychaos
says...
5:20pm Sat 1 Dec 12
wole
says...
6:19pm Sat 1 Dec 12
Hove Actually
says...
7:24pm Sat 1 Dec 12
Fight_Back wrote:People do want to park near there homes, probably to keep an eye on them.
Hove Actually wrote:If everybody that owned a car ( and I'm in that group ) actually learnt to park properly then there would be no verge parking. The basic fact is that people are now lazy and want to park exactly outside their house or the place they are going. Given most of central Brighton and Hove doesn't have grass verges then the main problem must be the suburbs. Most people in the suburbs have off road parking so there really is no need for parking on the verges. You only need to look at Neville Road and see how many idiots want to risk their wing mirrors etc when there is loads of drive parking available to them.
If everyone who parked on the verge was to park in the road this city would come to a grinding halt and everyone would lose their wing mirrors.
This is just another way to milk the motorist and anyone who claims otherwise is probably a single minded car hating green.
I can think of many roads that would need to have parking on only one side if people didn't use the verge. Many of these are on bus routes.
Where are these suburbs and all the drives? not in Hangleton, Portslade, Knoll, Whitehawk, Molscombe, Patcham, Kemptown.....oh yes Withdean....mind you most there have 2 or 3 cars and need to use the verge too
ghost bus driver
says...
8:31pm Sat 1 Dec 12
Fight_Back wrote:What about those black and white reflector posts? They'd be way cheaper then tarmac, and would allow the verges to be kept neater too.
Morpheus wrote:Strange, there was always enough width when I was a child in the 70's and 80's. Cars are getting smaller on the whole with more and more people opting for the small city runarounds. The problem comes with the idiot families who think just because they have one child they need a massive 4x4. In my road there's loads of space and yet people can't be bothered to park say 15 seconds further down the road on the odd occasion they need to. This is especially noticeable when it comes to the school run Mums ! They'd much rather mount the verge than carry their fat backsides a few extra yards.
People park on the verges because the roads are too narrow. It is pointless having verges that are just a mess. The council needs to allocate money to tarmacking the grass verges. The alternative is to start the demolition process and build a city for the modern world.
plantwoman
says...
10:22am Sun 2 Dec 12
A few years ago, if you drove a van for work you normally had to get to your place of work first to collect the van, and return it there each night. Now, there are so many vans parked outside houses, it's difficult for everyone.
farang
says...
11:27am Sun 2 Dec 12
.co.uk/product/inovg
reen-park40.html
It seems that the verges are used so why prevent that use?
Bollards get knocked over and could damage vehicles, the cost of which may be claimed from the LA!
sussexram40
says...
8:06pm Sun 2 Dec 12
Fact is there are far far too many cars. Nearly everyone expects to have a car. Like it's a right. Go back 30 years and it was 1 car per household max. Now you can get 3 or 4! Ridiculous. All because so many people today are too lazy to walk, cycle or use public transport. It proves to me that the cost of motoring is way too low if so many more can afford to runs cars than did 20 or 30 years ago. I was 26 when I was able to afford my own car - and that was a hand me down banger!
tcj100
says...
10:23am Mon 3 Dec 12
farang
says...
11:37am Mon 3 Dec 12
sussexram40 wrote:A sweeping statement, contrary to valid research:http://www.
Some people round me have garages but they fill them with junk and leave their cars clogging up the road. Sheer selfishness and laziness. People should live in suitable properties. I'd have liked to live in cetral Brighton when I was younger -main reason I didn't was that I had a car and I couldn't find anywhere with off road parking.
Fact is there are far far too many cars. Nearly everyone expects to have a car. Like it's a right. Go back 30 years and it was 1 car per household max. Now you can get 3 or 4! Ridiculous. All because so many people today are too lazy to walk, cycle or use public transport. It proves to me that the cost of motoring is way too low if so many more can afford to runs cars than did 20 or 30 years ago. I was 26 when I was able to afford my own car - and that was a hand me down banger!
bettertransport.org.
uk/files/car_depende
ncy_scorecard_2.pdf
Please could readers attempt to do some basic research before handing out such biased opinion.
I 'googled' the above article, time taken - about 2 minutes!
Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit says...
2:04pm Fri 30 Nov 12